COSTA MESA — The short week could put a strain on the Chargers’ running back depth chart heading into their crucial Thursday night clash against the Kansas City Chiefs, with Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon nursing injuries.

Ekeler was placed in concussion protocol after reporting symptoms to the team Monday afternoon. He injured his neck on the Cincinnati Bengals’ onside kick attempt near the end of Sunday’s 26-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Initially, Ekeler avoided concussion protocol. He was cleared after being evaluated for a stinger and concussion inside the tent on the field.

Ekeler, who was unable to move his neck when he spoke to reporters, didn’t sound optimistic about playing Thursday.

“I’m really stiff right now,” Ekeler said. “I have a bruised nerve in my neck. (I’m) not really moving my head around much. Short week, that’s the worst part about it.

“I don’t know if it’s a thing if you can tolerate it you can play, but they just want to get me to where I’m comfortable moving my head around before we go forward.”

The short week also doesn’t help Gordon, who has missed the past two games with a sprained MCL.

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Gordon will do change-of-direction drills on the side of the practice field to evaluate his knee.

“He’s getting better, I can tell you that,” Lynn said about Gordon. “He’s getting a lot better. But we probably won’t have a full speed practice this week, so he’s going to do some things on the side. We’ll see how he goes.”

Ekeler was the starter during Gordon’s two-game absence. He rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries and scored a 5-yard touchdown against the Bengals.

The Chargers might have to rely on two rookie running backs with a combined 32 carries this season. Justin Jackson, a seventh-round pick out of Northwestern, and Detrez Newsome, an undrafted rookie from Western Carolina who has just five carries for 15 yards this season, would share the workload if Gordon and Ekeler aren’t cleared to play Thursday.

“No matter who we put on the field, we expect them to execute and be ready to play,” Lynn said.

Rivers appreciates win No. 10

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers made sure to remind his teammates how long it’s been since the team has won 10 games in a season.

He emphasized the year and said it twice during his postgame speech Sunday after the Chargers held on to defeat the Bengals 26-21 at StubHub Center.

The Chargers improved to 10-3, marking the first time they’ve reached double digit wins in a season since 2009.

Rivers wasn’t about to brush off the accomplishment, despite the looming showdown Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We haven’t won 10 games since 2009,” Rivers said. “That’s a long time. It’s hard to do that in this league.”

For Lynn, it wasn’t that big of a deal. He’s waiting for the bigger accomplishments.

“Not really, because 10 wins is not the magic number,” Lynn said Monday when asked if reaching 10 wins was important to him. “We’re not in the playoffs. When we get this organization back in the playoffs competing for a championship, then that will mean something different.”

The Chargers can clinch their first postseason berth in five years if they’re able to beat the Chiefs. They would be guaranteed at least a fifth seed, but like Lynn, the team is thinking bigger.

By beating the Chiefs, the Chargers would end a nine-game losing streak against their AFC West rival, and tie them for first in the division and the top seed in the conference. The Chiefs would hold the tiebreaker because of their better division record.

The Chiefs (11-2), who already clinched a playoff spot, can lock up the division and earn a first-round bye by defeating the Chargers for a 10th straight time.

Rivers gave himself until Monday morning to soak in Sunday’s win. Reaching 10 wins might have meant more to him because he’s been with the franchise for 15 years.

He won a lot early in his career, but then the wins became harder to come by. The Chargers have only made the postseason once since 2009. That was in 2013, when they earned a wild-card spot with a 9-7 record.

Joey Bosa is only in his third season, but he hasn’t forgotten the 5-11 finish in his rookie season.

“A win is a win, and to get wins in this league you don’t care how,” Bosa said. “We were 5-11 two years ago. Getting wins are hard.”

Gilbert Manzano grew up reading the Pasadena Star-News, and now he’s the Chargers beat writer for the Southern California News Group. Manzano moved back to Pasadena after working three years for the Las Vegas Review-Journal as a Raiders and boxing reporter. The Cal State Northridge graduate spent two seasons as a breaking news editor for NFL.com. The Spanish-speaking lefty likes to go on runs with his dog, Cam.